Combined filling and gas valve for storage batteries.



w. E. HOLLA-NDi COMBINED FILLING AND GAS VALVE FOR STORAGE BATTERIES. I APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, I91].

- 1,165,100. Patented' Dec. 21, 1915.

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whm E fHoL LANn-oE EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORTO EDISON STORAGE BATTEnYconEANY, 0 WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW ER EY-.

To 'alljwhom it may concern Be .it known that I, VALTER E. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United. States, and a'resi- "dent of-East Orange, in the county of Essex and State. of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Filling and Gasv Valves for Storage 1 Batteries, of which the following. is a specification.

for filling storage batteries with electrolyte and replenishing the same with .water, for

permitting the escape of T gases generated Within the storage battery cell, for separating'the mechanically entrained globules of ing dust, dirt and other foreign matter from the cell.

In prior patents to Thomas A. Edison numbered and dated as follows :7 64,183, July 25, 1901; 785,297, March 21, 1905; 821,624, May 2-9, 1906; and 850,913, April 23, 1907, various forms of gas separators are disclosed, but none of these devices is adapted to be used for the'purpose of filling the cell,,and where they are used, a separatefilling means must be employed. I I The'object of my, invention is to provide a simple and :efiicient device for accomplishing the functions set forth above. My invention consists also in the combinations and details of construction described and claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings which accompany and form' a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the sevm1 views Figu-re 1 is a vertical view partly in'section showing one embodiment of my improved filling and gas valve applied to a storage battery of the Edison type; Fig. 2-is a vertical sectional View of the device with the lidor cover lifted 111130 45 fillingposition; Fig. 3 is a plan v1e\v of the device; Fig. 1' is a perspective view of a- 1 detail of construction; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a modified arrangement the spring. I 15o Referring containing can or vessel shown at 1 is prominals 3 and at. My improved device.- in

cludes a plug 5 secured in the top of the bat- M'y invention relates "to combined means electrolyte from the escaping gases'and re-.--v turning the same to the cell, and for excludeto] the drawings, the battery oonrBInEDjErLLmG AND Gas VALVE FOR STORAGE BATTERIES.

specification of Letters Patent Patented 1) cc. 21, 1915.

Application filed June 17, 1911. Serial No. 633,683.

tery can by the flanged edge 6 or in anv other suitable manner. The plug 5 has ah opening therethrough which is preferably tubular, the lower portion of the said openlng being narrow and elongated, as shown at 7, and the upper portion being relatively shorter. and wider,- as shown at 8. The upper end of the contracted portion of the opening serves as a valve seat for a valve 9, preferably hemispherical in form and provided with a stem 10 and having a diskshaped head 11; The plug 5 is provided with a bracket 12 which may be 'secured to the plug by a ring-like member 13 surrounding the same and having a protecting fiangell and resting u'pon shoulder 15 of the plug. The bracket 12 is provided with a pair of up-turned projectinglugs 16 having holes for the reception. of a cotter pin 17.

l Pivotally secured to the bracket 12 by means of the cotter pin 17 is the lid 18 having a flange 19, a handle 20. and a rearwardly projecting portion 21. The projecting portion 21 is provided with projecting lugs 22 which contain holes adapted to register with the holes in the projecting lugs 16 and to recelve the cotter pin 17. The lid or cover 18 is pivotally secured to the bracket 12 by means of the cotter pin Hand a spring is provided for retaining the lid in either closed. position. as shown in Fig. 1, or open position, as shown in Fig. The spring has projecting lugs 23 provided with holes adapted to register with the holes in the projecting lugs 16 and 22 and to receive the cotter pin 17. 'lhe'springhas a curved portion 21 and a fiat portion 25. The flat portion 25 is adapted to press against the flat portions of the projecting. lugs 22 of the lid 18, or

against the end of the rearwardly projectingportion '21, in such a manner as to hold the lid in closedposition. as shown in Fig. 1, and is also adapted to.,. press against the flat rearwardly projecting portion 21 of the lid in order to hold the said lid in open position, as shown in Fig. 2. Thevalve 9 is loosely secured to the lid 18 by the device- 26, shown in Fig. 4. The device 26 is channel-shaped, andis secured to the lid 18 by 'one flange in any suitable manner,as by means of the rivet 28. The channel-shaped part 26 isprovided with an elongatedslot *29 in itsbase and with a rounded opening 30 in the flange 34 which is not in contact with the lid is The slot 29 and the rounded opening'30 are connected by a slot 31. The roundedopening 30 is slightly larger in diameter than til e stern 1.0 of the valve.

The slot'30 isof "substantially the same width as the diameter of the stem of the valve.

and the slot 29 has alength and width substantially equal to the'diameter and thickness respectively-of the disk-shaped head 11 of the valve 9. This construction permits the valve 9 to be placed imposition in the device 26 in assembling the parts and permits said valve to have suflicient freedom of movement in the said device without liability of becoming disengaged therefrom. By proper manipulation, however, the valve 9 maybe removed from the part 26. The flat surface of the flange 34 of the part 26 cooperates in an efiicient manner with the fiat upper surface of the valve 9 to, reseat the valve in proper. operative position. The' up- The flat portion I 40 32 in order to the opening '8 'the rearwardly projecting portion 21 of the lid. The projecting lugs 23 of the spring extend downwardly and are providedwith holes for the reception of the cotter pin. 25 of the spring is adapted to press against the rear edge 34 of the bracket 12 when the lid is in closed position,-

and is adapted to press against the flat under portion 33 of the bracket 12 when the lidis lifted. It will be. seen that in this modified arrangement of the spring, the entlre spring is moved when the lid is raised.

Wheii the spring is arranged as-in Figs. 1, 2'and 3, tlie lugs 22'of the lidare located between the lugs 16 of. the 'bracket 12, and when the-spring is arranged as in Fig. 5, the lugs 16 of the bracket 12 are located between the lugs 22 of the lid. In'this manner, frlction between the spring and the parts moving relatively to it is reduced to a minimum.

The operation of my improved filling and gas valve is as follows: When it is desired to fill the battery cell with electrolyte or re- -plenish,.the

same with Water, the lid is lifted anditis retained in raised position, as is shown'in Fig. 2, by the spring, and at the same time the valve is moved out of its seat and out of line with the opening in the plug, so that the electrolyte or water maybe easilypoured through the opening in the plug. After filling or replenishing has been effected, the cover or lid isclosed, audit is; then retained in closed position by spring pressure, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5. When gase's are generatediin the cell, asis the case particularly during charging," the valve 9 is lifted from its seat whenever the" gaspressure becomes great enough, and the gases escape through the opening .7 around the sides of the valve 9 into the opening 8 and out through the openings 32 in theupper part of the plug and betweenthe plug and the fianges'19 of the lid or cover. As

the gases passinto the enlarged opening 8, their velocity is reduced and the mechanically entrained globules of -electrolyte"are depositedon the'walls of the plug and other exposed surfaces, or are entrapped by the film of liquid covering the said walls and surfaces, and drip back into the cells v By making the opening 7 'n the lower. part of the plug relatively long and narrow, the electrolyte is prevented from being splashed into the space above the valve'when the battery cell'is shaken or otherwise agitated, as may occur when such batteries are used upon automobiles or othervehicles. It is also to be observed that the cover 18 and lts flange 19, together with the flangel l, are so arranged as to prevent dust, dirt, orother foreign matter from entering the cell.. In fact cells provided with my improved filling and gas valve may be washed by means of a hose without causing any appreciableamount of water or foreign matter carried thereby to enter the cell. It is also to'be noted thatshould an explosion takeplace within the cell, the cover being spring pressed, is enabled-to open sufficiently to re- ,lievethe pressure and prevent the distortion or rupture of the containing can or vessel.

Having now described my invention, What,

I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patout is as follows 11 A combined filling and gas valve for a storage battery comprising a plug havingan opening therethrough and provided with a; valve seat,'a valve therefor, and a cover for the opening of the plug, the'said cover havmg a depending fiange surrounding the'top of the plug, the ,said plug and cover havingan opening therebetween to permit escape of gas, and the valve being connected with the cover, seat when the cover is-lifted, -substantially as described.

2. A combined filling and gas valve for storage battery comprising a plug having an whereby the valve is movedout of its opening therethroughand provided with af valve seat, a vai-ve therefor, and a spring pressedcover for the'opening of the plug, the said cover having-a depend ng flange surrounding the top of the plug, thew-said plug and cover having an opening therebetween to permitescape of gas,

being connected with the; cover, whereby the.

and the valve;

itki l'zlge.battery, comprising a lu h i g i 3111' p ng therethrough and provided with alve seat,.a valve therefor, and a cover ,forfthe opening of the plug, and aspring adapted to retain the coverin either open or closed position, substantially as described.

' 49A combined'filling and gas valve for a storage" battery, comprising a plug having anopcning therethrough and provided with o- "a valve seat, a valve therefor, and a cover for the opening of the plug, a spring adapted to retain the cover in either open or closed position, and means for connecting the valve loosely with the cover, substantially as described.

5. A combined filling and gas valve for a storage battery comprising a plug having an opening therethrough-and provided with a valve seat, a valve therefor, a cover for the opening of the plug hinged thereon, the said cover having a depending flange surroundiiigthe top of the plug, said plug and cover having an opening therebetween to permit escape of gas, and the valve being connected with the cover, whereby the valve ismoved out of its seat when the cover is lifted, subspring adapted to retain the cover in either.

open or closed position, substantially as .described.

7. In a storage battery, the combination of aplug having a tubular opening therethrough, said opening being of suflicient extent to serve as a filling opening for the battery and being enlarged in the upper part of the plug to form a valve seat, a valve therefor, and means preventing the influx of foreign matter abovethe valve but permitting the efiiux of gas therethrough, and including a hinged, spring-pressed cover having a depending flange surrounding and spaced apart from the exterior of the upper part of thelug. substantially as described.

8. A combined filling and gas valve for a storage battery comprising a plug having an opening therethrough and provided with a valve seat, avalve therefor, the lower portion of the valve having a substantially spherical surface for engagement with the valve seat, and a hinged cover for the opening of the plug, the valve being loosely connected with the cover, whereby the valve is permitted to be seated by gravity when the cover is closed and is moved outof its seat when the cover is lifted, substantially as described. Y

9. A combined filling and gas valve for a storage battery, comprising a plug having an opening therethrough of suflicient extent to serve as a filling opening for the battery and provided With a valve seat, a valve therefor, and a hinged cover for the opening of the plug, the valve being so connected with the cover that the valve is moved out of its seat to leave the opening unobstructed by movement of the cover on its hinge, substantially as described.

10. In a storage battery, the combination of a plug having an opening therethrough and provided with a valve seat, a valve therefor, a cover for the opening of the plug,

and means for connecting the valve to the cover to'insure the placing of the valve in proper operative position with respect to its seat when the cover is in closed position and to cause the valve to be moved out of its seat when the cover is lifted, substantially as described.

11. A combined filling and gas valve for a storage battery comprising a plug having an opening therethrough and provided with a valve seat, a gravity-seated valve therefor having a curved lower surface and a flat upper surface, and means for loosel connecting the valve tothe cover, where y the valve is moved out of itsseat when the cover is lifted, said means'having a surface adapted to cooperate with the flat upper surface of the valve to reseat the same in proper operative position when the cover is closed, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 15th day of J une, 1911. WVALTER E. HOLLAND.

lVitnesses:

HENRY LAXAHAN,

ANNA R. KLEHM. 

